Valentino Rossi

Italy

They call him the GOAT – The Greatest Of All Time, a worthy title that`s used by fellow riders as much as his millions of fans. An all-time hero and absolute legend of MotoGP (and Motorsport as a whole) Valentino Rossi has received honours from racing legends past and present for not only his abilities on the bike, but the colour and sheer entertainment he brings to the sport.

The 36 year old has racked up nine world championship titles and now stands at 108 race wins, second on the all time list.

It doesn`t take much to see why he`s dominated headlines for all these years: The Doctor manages to combine raw racing talent with a knack of adding humour and theatre to his repertoire. In good times and bad, he`s had an incredible bond with his fans, often played out in front of heaving grandstands but also in the paddock where the back of his garage often resembles a siege in progress.

On track, Valentino`s capabilities on a bike have defied logic and understanding on many an occasion. Toying with the bike he`s invented techniques that have baffled and then tortured his opponents who’ve tried to follow his lead but it`s been the grandstand finishes that have had millions on their feet. Rossi has produced sheer mastery when you thought there was nothing else to give. And he`s done it in style.

Away from the 2-wheel circus Valentino`s made no secret of his passion for 4 wheel racing. Having tested for Ferrari in F1 with massively credible times, he’s taken his abilities to WRC and lately become the star of Monza Rally Show which he’s won on multiple occasions.

He was the man challenging Marc Marquez in 2014 and rolled back the years to finish in second overall, including two masterful victories. He’s back on the new and improved YZR-M1 in ’15 and determined to make a splash again.